Monday 09 November 2009

Background

Titus was a Greek who had been converted under Paul's preachingand became one of his assistants. It was Titus who delivered Paul'sfirst uncompromising letter to the Corinthians and later met Paulin Macedonia to report on how it had been received (2 Corinthians7:5-16). Titus then carried Paul's second letter back to theCorinthian Church. Paul called Titus "my partner and co-worker" (2 Corinthians8:23). His role in the demanding Corinthian mission indicatesthat Titus must have been someone with exceptional leadershipqualities. It is not surprising that Paul trusted him to handle thedifficult assignment on Crete.

Local churches can face all manner of problems, then as now: somedepending upon their age, some their maturity, and others thecircumstances of the culture in which they are situated. Paul wrotethis letter to Titus specifically regarding the young CretanChurch. It seems they were facing temptation posed by falseteaching.

Paul sets out the attributes he believes are needed for the eldersof the church that Titus is to appoint. It begins with Paulestablishing his own credentials, then those of Titus, beforemoving on to the nub of the issue. The authority with which theletter is written would have left the Cretans in no doubt that Paulwas authorising Titus to appoint those elders. The attributes Paullists would have cut through any ambitions for someone to beappointed just because they volunteered, were wealthy or welleducated. The characteristics that Paul outlines are allexemplary personalqualities.

Often when there is a vacancy, a person specification is drawn upoutlining the attributes and skills that the next incumbent shouldpossess. Paul's specification for the elders in the Cretan Churchwould stand us in good stead today (verses 6-9). Paul didn't saythat others might refute or contradict the word,he knew it would happen, and the needfor an elder with a firm grasp of the word was a priority, just asit is today.

To Ponder

How do you recognise false teaching? Are therecertain criteria that you might use?

Have you ever had to defend the word of God? Whathappened?

Would your person specification for a churchelder be any different to Paul's? How?